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Venus and Mercury Early February we have two planets moving into new signs whose retrograde cycles mirror each other. Understanding the similarities and differences of these transits can help us become aware of what life areas we need to practise patience and neutrality. Venus and Mercury are the two planets involved and their movement through Pisces and Aries is significant. These two zodiac signs represent the ending and beginning of cycles, the constant death and rebirth of life, patterns and ideas themselves. With the energies of Venus representing beauty, balance and ease and Mercury representing logic, messages and neutrality we can examine how our thoughts are shifting to align better with our goals and ideals. To me, the energy feels like healing after undergoing a process where your brain has been re-wired and you are experiencing things with new eyes or senses. This Venus/Mercury cycle begins with Venus ahead of Mercury then ends with Mercury ahead of Venus. In the chart below, which identifies the different stations during this cycle the Leading Planet is identified in Green. They reach their closest conjunction to each other at the end of March/first week of April and Mercury begins to supersede in degrees.  Significance of the Retrogrades From these dates and transits we can see that From January - March we are leading with pleasure and creating balance (keep in Mind Mars is retrograde and in a water sign during most of this so some of our actions and motivations may be more emotional or personal). Venus entering Aries in February can spark sudden urges and needs for comfort or change, at this time people may need to be careful with their money or over indulging. The Retrograde that follows a month later will shine a light on any bad habits or misplaced energy. The Action we put in is for the greater good but will likely be a shock to our senses, good or bad. Mercury coming in to conjunction with Venus also in retrograde at the end of March allows us to rethink our choices and perhaps change some of the patterns we created out of emotionally driven comfort in January. March is a time to be careful with your words which is why I wrote about patience and Neutrality earlier in the article. These patterns in the sky provide us with an opportunity to practice patience, and take a more neutral look at life until things have calmed down or energy has shifted (aka, the planets stationing direct in the Springtime). There is also going to be a challenge for others to take accountability in their lives, that is what Aries stands for - not only being a self starter but having a strong self awareness and understanding when you were operating out of a selfish part of yourself or out of self preservation. During these retrogrades we may be asked to hold ourselves accountable so that we can mend relationships with others. Don't Forget About Saturn There is additional significance to this cycle because Saturn is currently in Pisces. Venus and Mercury conjunct to Saturn prior to their retrogrades and again after their retrogrades at different degrees. I have laid out these degrees and dates below:  Saturn is the planet of authority, structure and responsibility. Its presence adds additional energy to what I discussed above. It is pretty cool to see this cycle begin in January. With Venus and Saturn being the sole planets in Pisces for the first month of the year, it suggests we kicked off 2025 with a mixture of karma and balance as Saturn works hard to bring in order re-tracing its steps since it went retrograde in the Fall. January 18th brought an exact conjunction of the two planets and it would be helpful for people to reflect on what responsibilities they feel they are ready and willing to take on around this time. People may also gain greater emotional awareness or meaning to their goals which helps them find the motivation and urgency to take action or find patience within themselves to stay consistent. We can look forward to Mercury entering Pisces in February and retracing the steps of Venus here - Mercury is the planet of communication and logic so we can expect our brains to catch up to our feelings and perhaps have more mental clarity or information to take some of the actions we are hoping to take. Mercury's presence in Pisces in February also suggests that it is a potent time for creatives and people who may be channelling messages or working with their spirituality. While Mercury is in Pisces however, Venus has already moved into Aries and this pattern emphasizes the emotion, passion and creativity that may be superseding logic and order. If you are working on projects and feel guilty that you do not have a plan or structure you may just need to flow and practice being in the chaos until Mercury catches up and helps your energy create the right structure for you. Be patient but do not put your goals on hold for the fear of being messy or disorganized. The Retrogrades themselves are the perfect time for you to examine your mistakes, discomforts and perhaps make a few more mistakes so that you can correct them and gain a deeper understanding of what works for you. This is where you should use the attached chart and journal a bit or at least thing through what you are experiencing (AKA re-read this article in a month or two haha). These retrogrades are particularly powerful as they occur in Pisces and Aries. In astrology we use Pisces and Aries to indicate the ending and beginning of cycles, or progression of a cycle and an opportunity to “level up”, be reborn into an elevated version of yourself, your goals or the responsibilities you are willing to take on. Consider how this is occurring during those retrogrades. *envision a personal montage happening 90s movie style*. No change can come without acknowledgement of what does not work and that is where Pisces' influence comes in, letting go is tough and it is hard for us to release old patterns when we have no control of other people whose actions or influence may still be aligned with the older way of being. This leads to feelings of chaos and confusion. Throughout the Piscean retrograde you need to keep the faith and understand that you are in the middle of a transformation process so things are allowed to look confusing especially with mercury's involvement which has that subconscious influence of your brain being rewired. Do your best to observe your feelings and be present with others but maintain your new boundaries and do not let others influence you as you wade through this period of transformation. Reflection Template: Consider where Aries and Pisces show up in your astrology. For any of your placements look at what houses are influenced. In the Chart below the Numbers represent the astrological houses activated for your sign   Use the table above to identify what life areas Pisces and Aries are influencing according to your signs. In this example I am using my Sun sign in Leo  Ask your self the following:
How am I progressing in these life areas? What Mistakes or disappointments have occurred? How can I practice patience or allow more balance and harmony in these life areas right now? How do I need logic or my brain to catch up to my feelings? How have things changed after April 7th & April 16th (this is when the planets stationed direct or entered aries again) What actions am I willing to take to make these changes?
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I was thrilled by the overwhelming response to my initial call for interviews. In these conversations, I explored participants' life experiences, behaviours, and personal perspectives. The first topic I want to delve into is Communication.
Through these interviews and my subsequent analysis, I discovered that whether participants practiced astrology or not, their self-described communication styles closely aligned with key astrological placements—particularly their Mercury sign and the placement of the ruler of their third house. Additionally, those with strong water elements or lunar sect charts showed notable correlations with their Moon sign’s influence over their third house, emphasizing the emotional nuances in their communication. TLDR; Summary of Key Findings:
Mercury Mercury’s placement in the participants’ natal charts significantly shapes how they approach communication:
Here are brief examples of what was examined. Participant P01:
Half of our participants had Mercury in close conjunction with other planets, this was shown to have an impact on their intperprestions. Because we only had a small sample of participants we currently do not have the data to discuss the differences between those with Mercury alone in a Sign and those with MErcury in close conjunction to a planet in the same sign. Such as examining multiple people who have mercury in sagittarius as well as multiple people who have mercury conjunction mars or another planet in the sagittarius. To help us collect more data volunteer for an interview or share with your friends!! Lord of the 3rd What is a lord of the house? When we say "the Lord of the 3rd house," it means we're talking about the planet that rules the zodiac sign on the 3rd house cusp of a person's chart. This planet (the "Lord") influences the themes of that house. So, if the 3rd house (which governs communication) has Gemini on its cusp, then Mercury—the ruler of Gemini—is the Lord of the 3rd house. The planetary ruler of the third house plays a significant role in shaping how these participants communicate, highlighting different nuances like depth, expressiveness, and directness that align closely with their self-described styles and how they interact with the world around them. Participant P06
Lunar Chart What is a lunar chart? In my astrological practice, I look at three types of charts. Natal, Solar and Lunar. Natal charts are when the first house begins at the sign of your Rising sign, Solar charts begging with the sign of your Sun and Lunar with the Moon sign. Examining astrology in this way has allowed me to gain more clarity of my client's lived experience and also reveals other nuances to personality traits and thoughts. This is not to be confused with Lunar Sect Read more about Sect here: In my research, I call on the assistance of Solar and Lunar charts to confirm other statements from our volunteers that did not align with simply examining the Natal Chart or see if they add any information that was not shared. To begin I noticed that I needed more assistance in my analysis with the 5 members who did not have conjunctions to their mercury plancement. Those 5 are the ones I chose to focus on for my first lunar chart analysis. Analysis of Participants Without a Mercury Conjunction and Their Lunar Third House: Participant P03
What A Ride! So, to conclude this first article our research so far supports the fact that astrology offers profound insights into how individuals communicate. The role of Mercury (to no ones surprise), was evident in shaping participants' directness, adaptability, or emotional nuances, especially when combined with the ruling planet of their third house. Participants without Mercury conjunctions showcased a purer expression of their lunar third house influences, highlighting the emotional subtleties that guide their communication. Ultimately, whether through the Mercury sign, the ruling planet of the third house, or lunar insights, each person's way of connecting with others is deeply influenced by their cosmic blueprint. This analysis is just the beginning, inviting more exploration into the intricate connections between astrology and our everyday behaviors—particularly, how we relate, share, and express ourselves. I can not wait to conduct more interviews to expanding this research and welcome more voices to share their stories and enrich our astrological understanding. If you are interested in voluntering your time to be interviewed you can book your call here. I have been practicing astrology for eight years and using it to work toward personal milestones such as a successful partnership (we got married in September 2023!), a Job that suits my lifestyle, getting rid of debt, improving my fitness and physique and increasing my intuition! It still amazes me to write that I have accomplished significant changes in these life areas. I believe my use of mindfulness and meditation has made my experience with astrology so effective.
What is Mindfulness? My simplest description of mindfulness is that it is the practice of being present and noticing things. I like to think of it as observing closely - like in movie scenes where a character’s mind observes multiple things in a split second. That is an example of our mindful mind at work. Taking it a step further, mindfulness is noticing and observing the current state of 1. Your surroundings, 2. Your thoughts 3. Your emotions, and 4. Your material reality compared to your spiritual reality. Regular mindfulness practice, mainly when focused on your surroundings, thoughts, emotions, and reality, empowers you to delve deeper into astrology's messages. It's a tool that allows you to deepen your understanding and interpretation. For example, someone with an Aries Sun may object to the statement that Aries’ are hot-headed but a mindful Aries would notice how, in some ways, their immediate reactions are less rational or more passionately fueled and would accept that. Acceptance is one of the results of mindfulness. In my early astrology career, I created a little formula called the 4 A’s of Astrology. Acknowledgement Acceptance Agency Action The idea was working with astrology is best when you tune into these 4 actions while working with the transits. Is this transit asking you to Acknowledge something? Accept something (You can acknowledge something and not truly accept it)? Is the transit showing you how to make a change and reminding you of your Agency? Is the transit encouraging the right Action? These ideas created the base for my personal astrology practice and kept it aligned with mindfulness techniques. I encourage you to think about the 4A’s when working with the transits and your personal astrology. There is another way I am motivated to use Mindfulness when it comes to Astrology. No matter where you are in your Astrology Journey - it is helpful to keep up with specific/learned definitions from other astrologers. When we begin learning we may have our basic or primary definitions of the Signs, Planets and Houses that we memorize and used without question for our first year or two. As your experience with astrology grows you may run into new definitions, nuances or energies of the signs, planets and houses or how techniques could be used. If you are like me, you may have a hard time adapting your mindset to other interpretations of the signs or transits from another astrologer's point of view. Practicing mindfulness helps you maintain the understanding that there are multiple points of interpretation in astrology, and all hold value. This makes you a better student of astrology and can help you intuitively bring the best information to your clients. This type of article is one that does not have a proper conclusion. My experience with Mindfulness and Astrology is ever-evolving. So I will leave you with my favourite practice that has helped me tune in to my mindfulness practices. Pull up a chart of the moment. On your astrology app, Astro.com always has one on its main page. Locate the ascendant and ask yourself, “how is my current activity an example of (Zodiac Sign) Energy?” Repeat this activity at random (drop what you are doing and try it out sometimes!) you will be surprised at what comes up and what you can learn. This article discusses the definitions or Keywords I have seen used to describe the 8th House of Astrology throughout my time as an astrologer. Recently, I've been evaluating my 8th house transits and want to share some insights that may help you understand the 8th house and what it can represent in your natal chart or when transits move through it. When I began working with astrology in 2016, astrologers often referred to it as the house of Mystery, Secrets and Taboo things. Today, when I search the 8th house, I find definitions like this: “equal-opportunity house, sex, death and rebirth.” The last two concepts overlap with 12th-house themes. More frequently, I have even seen the 8th house referred to as the house of transformation—any cheat sheets I’ve made for clients have always referred to it as the house of Personal Growth and Transformation.  First, let's discuss the OG definition: “Mystery, Secrets and Taboo things.” This definition in popular astrology, especially in the early 2000s (and earlier, but I was just a kid in the 90s), directed people to think about the 8th house as where sexual insights lie. “Curious about someone's fetish or secret life? Look at their 8th house!” This is a slight over-exaggeration of the 8th house themes. At its core, this house directs people to think about topics that could be unknown. Unclear or make the native more mysterious to other people. When looking at a natal chart with this definition of the 8th house, yes, we can gain insights into what people may like to keep private or what is likely to be influencing them subconsciously - hence, “mystery and secrets.” Diving into this interpretation can help the native self-reflect. This style of interpretation can mislead outsiders trying to interpret a chart by overexaggerating themes or relating them only to sexuality and dramatic secrets.
The benefit of self-reflection leads us to the modern-day popular definition of the 8th house- Transformation! Through reflecting on these more profound ideas of what subconscious or private thoughts influence the native, the individual can reach a point where their perspective transforms and achieve a milestone in their personal growth! The issue I have seen with defining the 8th house in this way is that most people need assistance to recognize opportunities for personal growth or need to be encouraged to point out how things are changing and transforming - it is human nature to be a little pessimistic and self-deprecating when it comes to change. I have found that the assistance of an Astrologer or therapist helps people align with the 8th house’s definition of personal growth and transformation. Through my eight years of working with clients, I have come up with some new keywords that help my clients identify and accept what they are going through when the 8th house is activated. These new keywords are: 1. Discomfort 2. Chaos 3. Surrender In Chris Brennan's Hellenistic Astrology course, he examines the 8th house as a house of other people's money, relating to debt or money that is inherited - yet another perspective of the 8th house that I saw less discussed in popular modern astrology. Knowing this, I began to think about other 8th house themes as relating to “the other,” such as the people's baggage or trauma that we have become attached to through our relationships or other people's opinions and values - it can be argued that we keep secrets due to fear of judgment from other people's values and points of view. The original key terms of mystery, secrets, and taboo also relate to the unknown reality and fear of other people's opinions or the influence of others. This is what led me to my new keywords. When the 8th house is activated, it can bring a sense of discomfort. It creeps in slowly, and you can often dismiss these feelings and not recognize that some of your reactions at the time could be coming from feeling uncomfortable or dealing with energies and influences that do not actually belong to you but are coming from the influence of others. Discomfort can manifest differently for people; it may be general restlessness, anxiety, being asked to take accountability, being asked to forgive, or needing to step out of one's comfort zone at the request of others. When looking ahead at the transits, you can pinpoint a heightened period of discomfort when your 8th house is activated strongly. When your 8th house is activated, evaluate if your immediate reactions belong to you or are a result of past experiences and outside influences. By doing these things, you will be working with the energy of the 8th house to acknowledge your boundaries and influences and open your mind to how you can transcend those issues and end up having an experience that supports your Personal Growth. A Life Coach once told me that discomfort is a signal of growth, which is why I find it appropriate for the 8th house’s definition. In your chart, the sign and planets in the 8th house can reveal common triggers or a sense of otherness. For example, an 8th house ruled by Libra may mean your relationships or material world can be strongly influenced by others. A big lesson for you is to stick to your gut and find your own understanding of your relationships and your aesthetic. Being willing to not make decisions out of people pleasing others as well. If Mars were in your 8th house, you might be influenced by aggressive people in your past, causing you to doubt yourself or act out of a trauma response to your past experiences with aggression. When influenced by the energy of others, there is a lack of control and chaos. You may feel more chaotic because your mind is asking you to be concerned about things that are not coming from you. The best thing to do when an 8th house activation shows up this way is to check in with yourself, remind yourself of your values and needs, and try to point out where the external influence is coming in. For example, my most recent 8th house activation had me freaking out because a situation occurred, and my recurring thought was, “My mom would have yelled at me if I did that to her.” Because I was aware of the 8th house’s activation at the time, I took a step back - I was looking at my real-time situation through the lens of my mother, not even who she is today but the version of herself 18 years ago. What good was that doing me? I had to draw my understanding of the situation back to the people who were actually involved and what I could do that was in my control (in this case, apologize, show support, and let go of this reaction because of past influence). When things that are out of your control occur, the final thing to do is surrender. In my personal example above, I had to put the situation's results into the universe's hands and not assume an outcome. I also had to surrender those old feelings about my mom's reactions and ask the universe to help me not react that way in the future. Surrender and Chaos are terms that can be associated with the 12th house. While reflecting on the definitions of the 8th house and noticing the multiple overlaps - I couldn't help but think that modern/popular astrologers simplified the definition of the 8th house’s influence to Mystery, Secrets, and Taboo things so they would have fewer arguments and doubt from audiences. The truth is the 8th house and 12th house work together in harmony. They are 120 degrees apart from eachother, creating a trine, a harmonious aspect. The experiences you have when your 8th house is activated support your ultimate growth when the same planet activates the 12th house. In your natal chart, the 8th and 12th house placements can help you understand a great story of your personal growth journey and your connection to spiritual concepts and your higher power. To review, the 8th house of an astrology chart can represent various things, including mystery, secrets, taboo, personal growth, transformation, discomfort, chaos, and surrender. Each individual's 8th house can have unique triggers and lessons that they need to work with to achieve personal growth. While the 8th house is often associated with uncomfortable and challenging experiences, embracing and working with its energy can lead to profound transformation and growth. With the help of an astrologer or therapist, individuals can learn to navigate the complex energies of the 8th house, recognize their boundaries, and gain insights into their subconscious and private thoughts, creating opportunities for self-reflection and personal growth. Last week was a whirlwind - I barely had a moment to catch my breath. In the midst of it all, I stole a glance at how the Solar eclipse was affecting my natal chart. To my surprise, I found myself grappling with a genuine fear that something bad could happen to me.
I thought this for 2 reasons. First, the solar eclipse activated my 9th house (through my sun) of travel - I would be travelling home from a brief weekend trip on this day. Second, the Moon would also be passing through my 12th house (through my rising) right before the eclipse. This led me to think that something dangerous could occur that caused a major change in my life while I was travelling. Thankfully, on my 5 hours bus ride to my destination, I was able to reflect on this astrology more closely and calm myself down. There are layers to astrology - the Popular Layer - things shared in basic tick toks that describe some of the main themes of astrology focused on things happening TO you. Then there is a second layer - The Consciousness Layer - the less discussed details of astrology that reveal how the exact transits actually influence your consciousness. This layer is where astrology for personal growth lies. When I had more time, I delved deeper into the consciousness layer of transit analysis. The activation of my 9th house hinted at a potential for intellectual expansion and shifts in my mindset. This sparked my curiosity to explore new subjects that could significantly shape my worldview and astrological perspective. Additionally, I received positive news about my career, which I interpreted as a manifestation of the 9th house's expansion and the 12th house's theme of closure. There are so many more ways that I have seen the themes of these houses show up over the course of the eclipse but would be too much to share. Ultimately, I share this experience to underscore a crucial point-astrology is not always the dramatic spectacle that influencers and news articles often portray. In my view, its true worth lies in its capacity to serve as a mirror for self-reflection and mindfulness, helping us understand our current state and how it aligns with our aspirations and needs. Sometimes, you need a hand to help you understand astrology through the consciousness layer and lens of mindfulness - that is what I am here for! So Stay tuned for biweekly pajama astrology videos or work with me directly by checking out my services here. |
SARAH GOLDSMITHAstrologer, Past Life Regression Therapist and Intuitive. Sarah writes articles on current astro happenings, historical astro interpretations and spiritual topics.
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